Telephone answering machines perform the basic function that they automatically answer calls incoming on a telephone line if it is not answered first, play a prerecorded outgoing message to the calling party, and then record any message the calling party leaves. Besides this main function, many other features and functions are available currently. For instance, a time and/or date "stamp" is recorded at the end of a received message to indicate when the message was received during later playback. The machine can be set to announce only, or allow a specified time or unlimited time (voice operated) for recording of incoming messages.
Further, the hardware can vary on the machines. A single-tape player, a double-tape player, or even a digital memory with voice synthesizer may be used to announce and record. Visual displays may include individual LED lights and seven-segment LED or LCD digit displays of different numbers of characters. These displays are used to display the status and operating mode of the machine, the number of incoming calls, the time and date, and other relevant information.
The telephone line interface transformer and usual tape player tend to make answering machines bigger than telephone handset stations, and the operation of the one or two tape players can be noisy. It is therefore desirable to have a telephone answering machine that provides for use of all the functions of conventional machines, but without the size and noise limitations.
The present invention provides these features in a system for configuring a telephone answering machine that has the user interface features in one of a plurality of interchangeable panel or user-interface units and the other devices housed in one of a plurality of interchangeable remote base units. The various base units and the various panel units, respectively, may be capable of performing different functions. The base unit preferably contains the telephone line interface transformer, power supply, message recorder/player, option selections, and master controller. This unit may be placed in an inconspicuous place or may be hidden, so that the size and noise from operation of the unit, are not significant. The user-interface unit simply contains those features required for a user to operate the answering machine. Thus, it may include such things as microphone, speaker, input buttons (keys), and visual display.
Generally speaking, the present invention is directed to a telephone answering machine for receiving and recording calls received over telephone lines comprising a base unit, a user-interface unit, and means for communicating between the units. More particularly, the base unit includes a telephone line interface circuit connectable with the telephone lines for receiving and transmitting messages. A recorder is responsive to a control signal for recording messages received on the telephone lines or from a microphone in the user-interface unit. A speaker signal is generated by playing back these recorded messages. A controller controls operation of the telephone line interface circuit and the recorder based on commands input into the user-interface unit by a user.
The user-interface unit is remote from the base unit and includes user-operable keys or buttons for inserting command signals related to the recording and playing back of messages. A speaker is responsive to a speaker audio signal for producing sounds representative of the speaker audio signal. A microphone is responsive to user-generated sounds for producing a microphone audio signal representative of the user-generated sounds for use in recording announcements.
A communication link provides a transmission path that couples the base unit and the user-interface unit for communicating the various command and audio signals.
Further, the present invention preferably includes a method of communicating between the base and user-interface units whereby commands are sent between the two units. The commands relate to functions that the receiving unit may be able to perform. If the command corresponds to a function the receiving unit can perform, the function is performed. If the command does not correspond to a function the receiving unit can perform, the receiving unit does not respond to the command.
This method allows different base units and different user-interface units to be used interchangeably. Thus, a user-interface unit having very limited display and keyboard features can be used with a base unit having full function capabilities. Then, the user-interface unit can be replaced with a full-feature unit, which then functions completely with the same base unit. There is thus a modularity and replacement capability built into the system, so that a user can use less expensive or reduced-feature units initially, and upgrade to more functionality later.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment and associated drawings.